Create Life from Form, Fur and Feathers
Workshop | Available
Become a better artist through an increased understanding of form, surface, and character. Animals offer a joyful exploration of creating life, while building your skills. Like the human form, they offer rich artistic opportunity. Each day, Bill will do a demo painting using suggestions from participants, show examples of successful work, and give your work and goals individual attention. We may even throw in a human face, if the class would like! This five-day workshop will enhance your ability to develop and execute paintings that will bring animals to 'life'. Most importantly, you will leave with a better awareness and understanding of seeing, drawing and painting in general, while building a deeper appreciation of ways to breathe spirit and personality into the characters that populate your paintings. Bill will address keys to both artistic and technical growth that will apply to all facets of your work, while bringing greater joy to the process and improving the result. www.williamasuys.com
William Suys
Biography, notable awards and accomplishments
Representational oil painter Bill Suys especially loves bringing life to ‘people and other animals’ and is known for his sensitive treatment of both. Suys’ ready appreciation for the nuanced personalities of individuals – both human and otherwise – has brought him inspiration as well as recognition, and his passion for lifelong learning keeps him devoted to building a body of work that will, in his words, “Stand the test of time.”
Bill drew constantly as a kid, covering all paper surfaces and grade school test margins with airplanes and helicopters. He once escaped an expected scolding when the nun instead tapped his 'art'- covered notebook and whispered, "Keep that up!" He has.
Though painting nights and weekends as long as he can remember and take his classical art education into his own hands after college (Suys wishes he'd known about the atelier system when he was attending the University of Minnesota; art majors in those days received scant classical training) Suys did temporarily veer away from formal art employment by leaving the S.C. Johnson Wax art department – his first job after college and a coup at the time he was hired – by transitioning to 'Corporate' and finishing a second degree in business management, with graduate work in Finance. Bill admits to wearing wingtips for a number of years and credits 'JWax' and its relentless quest for excellence with teaching him the importance of quality and the value of providing an outstanding product.
In 1995, Bill left corporate life to became a full-time painter but almost immediately found himself a single parent to his three children, giving him a priceless role but delaying his full time dedication to painting and art career-building until the kids had fledged. In 2008, after his youngest was safely tucked into her dorm room at college, Bill hit the road running.
The last five years have been a period of accelerated growth: In addition to numerous gr